Eldon Nathaniel Powers' Obituary
Eldon Nathaniel Powers was born on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 1932 in Wichita, Kansas to Ernie and Bessie (Loomis) Powers. He grew up with seven siblings in Hoover’s Orchard in Wichita. Eldon set a state record in a school track meet running barefoot on a cinder course. He was a natural inventor and statistician cataloguing items he collected and creating new games to play. Eldon studied at Friends University in 1951 before transferring to Central Bible Institute graduating with a Bachelor in Missions in 1954. He met the love of his life there as well, marrying Betty Jean Zeigler on September 4, 1954. He later completed a Bachelor of Modern Language Education in 1963 at Evangel College and a Master of Science in Mathematics from Tulsa University in 1971. Eldon and Betty moved to Hays, Kansas where he started a new congregation. He wanted to start an Assembly of God congregation and selected the largest town in Kansas where they weren’t represented. They constructed the church building which is currently the Pheasant Run Restaurant on Vine Street. The church is now known as New Life Center and their website states in their history that “Pastor Powers would commonly have holes in his shoes because he would invest all his money into the church.” Eldon went on to work as a data processing technician at the Gospel Publishing House in Springfield and then for Amoco Production Company in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He was foundational in his contour mapping programming for the Oil and Gas Industry and was once introduced at a trade seminar as the “Moses of Contouring.” He and Betty later founded ENP Software, Inc. out of Sapulpa, Oklahoma in 1982 which later became PowersTech which they oversaw until their retirement. Their crowning achievement professionally was the creation of the Jupiter Mapping System for the Oil and Gas Industry. Eldon and Betty joined Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in 1976 where they were members until their deaths. They were active in the choir and Eldon taught Sunday school classes for years including the Homebuilder’s class in which they were members. Eldon is preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, parents and all but one sibling. He is survived by his sister Ruth Marler of Wichita, daughter Becky and Rick Henderson of Graham, Washington, son Bob of Tulsa and son Sam and Sheryl of Edmond, Oklahoma as well as grandchildren Rachelle and Jason Mobley, Paul and Stacie Henderson, Aaron Henderson, Kyla Powers and David Powers. He is also survived by five great-grandchildren, Abigail Mobley, Sophia Henderson, Sasha Mobley, David Mobley and Samuel Henderson as well as many nieces and nephews. Eldon passed away on October 20, 2018 in Edmond, Oklahoma. His service will be at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday, October 27 at 2:00 pm. Memorials may be made to Boston Avenue United Methodist Church or First United Methodist Church of Edmond.
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